DARK ROOM TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2722, 29 January 1910, Page 1 (Supplement)

DARK ROOM TRAGEDY.

A tragic story of'an amateur photographer’s death bv misadventure in his dark room was told at an inquest at Portsmouth, early in .December. The facts are few, but by their very brevity acquire a more dramatic character. Mr. Edwin J. T. Webb was ;v well-known solicitor in Portsmouth, and one of his favorite hobbies was amateur photographer. He had fitted up a dark-room in the) cellar of his liouse and went down there to develop some plates. He opened a bottle of beer in the cellar and noured out a glass to drink while at work. Becoming absorbed in his task he mistook the glass and put into it some cyanide of ]Kitassium. For a time he went __ on working, ignorant of his mistake. Then lie remembered the beer and drank some of it-. Instantly lie realised the terrible error he had made, and, while life was still In's, snatched up a scrap of photographic paper and on it- scribbled a message to his wife. It was read at the inquest, and ran as follows: — In semi-darkness have made awful mistake. Must have poured cyanide into ale. Only a few seconds to live. Cannot call. God help you, my pet. Brain reels. Tell ..... The writing towards the end of the message was almost undecipherable. After writing this hurried message Mr. Webb apparent!- tried to crawl upstairs, but he fell dead at the foot of the stairs, whore later his wife found him. The medical evidence went to show that after taking the poison Mr. Webb would lose the power of locomotion and would not be able to call out, though lie would live long enough to be able to write the note found. It was stated that- he was of cheerful temperament, and had no financial or business worry. A verdict of death by misadventure wa.s returned. ' Mr W ebb was one of th<sV best-known solicitors practising in the local courts, and was known throughout a large part of Hampshire. He was a native of the Is.c